A/N: o.o;; I abandoned this for a while, didn't I? I'm so sorry! I've had nothing but my Fire Emblem fics on my mind. But I'm working on my other fics now! Yes, yes, I'm writing, I'm writing…I'll stop before I start ranting. Out of sheer laziness, I never counted up the votes exactly. But I think the most votes were for either Yoh or Hao's point of view, and either childhood stuff or more mysterious parental stuff. So, doing Yoh's point of view this chapter and probably Hao's next and mixing up the two chapter situations. I'll probably get around to doing third person and the setting up plot eventually as well, so anyone who voted for that, don't worry, you'll be getting what you want too...

Disclaimer: I don't own Shaman King. (Sigh)

------------------

Start Over

Chapter 3

By Amethyst Bubble

--------------------

Hao sits cross legged on his bed, examining a book. I have to admit, I'm a little curious about what he's reading, but he didn't want to tell me when I asked. If Hao doesn't want to tell me something, then odds are I don't want to know.

Trying to keep my curiosity at bay, I open my own book and start reading. I'm in the middle of a particularly exciting chapter when he speaks.

"Do you ever wonder?" He asks. He isn't looking at me. He's still looking at that book.

"Wonder what, 'niichan?" I ask, blinking. I don't quite expect him to answer me. Sometimes he starts to say something and then he'll stop as suddenly as he started.

He's silent for a moment, "Wonder what it would be like if you didn't know I existed?"

"That's a weird question," I say, but I think it over anyway. What would it be like? Different, that's for sure. "I don't know what it would be like, Hao." I answer finally. Finally and truthfully. I don't know what it would be like.

He looks up from his book and over to me for a minute and there's something in his eyes that scares me, "Thank God." He breathes and quickly looks away.

He's really scaring me now. Abandoning my book, no matter how exciting, my bare feet touch the ground as I slide off my bed. Crossing the room quickly, I sit down next to him.

He says nothing. Slowly, I reach out and place a hand on his shoulder. He doesn't even flinch.

"'Niichan, you're scaring me," I say softly.

He sighs, turning to me, "Am I? I'm sorry." Taking one of my hands in his own, he gently massages it. I get that warm, fuzzy feeling in my stomach and I try hard not to blush. Keyword there being 'try'.

He's silent again. He just sits there, staring at the wall, my hand clasped tightly in his.

He says no more on the subject. He starts to talk to me about other things. He wraps his arms around me and rests his head on my shoulder. I think my face may very well rival a tomato.

Still, I can't get that look out of my mind. That look he gave me when I said I didn't know what it would be like if I didn't know he existed. His eyes were so haunted…I don't want 'niichan to be sad. But he rarely ever smiles true smiles. Maybe that's why I smile so much…Maybe I'm smiling for both of us.

And quite suddenly I decide that I don't want to know what life would be like without Hao. I don't ever want to know.

-----------------------

They're fighting again. I can hear Hao shouting at them, and I can hear my parents, even though their voices are softer then his. I sit in my room and pretend to talk to Amidamaru, but my mind is clearly not on our conversation.

My mind is out there, with Hao and my parents, listening to their argument.

I can't hear most of it. Only a few words here or there, mostly because Hao's voice rises as he get angrier.

"I won't let you take him!"

I wince, knowing he's referring to me. Amidamaru notices, but says nothing. He rarely says anything on the subject of my brother. Sometimes, I wonder if he knows something I don't. I hope he doesn't. It would be unfair if my spirit knew something I didn't and didn't tell me!

"I won't make that mistake! I am going to keep him with me always!"

…Mistake? What is he talking about? What mistake?! Why don't I know about this?

"YOH IS MINE AND MINE ALONE!"

Hao is being incredibly loud now. He must be very angry. I hope he doesn't set the living room on fire again. He did that once during a similar argument. That incident was a real mess.

I do not hear the crackling of flames, so I assume that he has not set anything on fire. At least…not yet. Maybe I should go and try to calm him down before he does anything drastic? Drastic in this case being making something go 'KABOOM'.

I give Amidamaru a smile and tell him that I'm going to go get Hao before, ya know, the house goes up in flames, and quickly step out of our room and into the hall.

The second I step into the living room, Hao immediately swivels around to look at me, even though he is in the middle of saying something. He's yelling at my father and looking at me with those blazing obsidian eyes we share…It's more then a little scary.

From the clink of dishes, I figure that my mother is in the kitchen, doing house work to try to drown out the argument between her husband and her son. I don't think it will work, judging by how loud Hao is now.

Our father says something, but he says it so quietly that I can't hear. Hao heard, though. I can tell by the way his eyes narrow in anger.

Hao is in one-hundred percent rage mode right now. I think maybe I should just go back to my room and wait until this all blows over before…Oh, too late.

Hao grabs my arm, yanking me towards him. He puts his hand on my chest, spreading his fingers out. What is he doing?

"This is mine!" He growls, "This soul is mine."

My father is silent. An eerie, angry sort of silent.

Hao is still glaring. Glaring daggers.

And I feel really, really uncomfortable, caught between the two of them.

"'Niichan," I say, tugging on his sleeve. "'Niichan, please stop it."

With one final hate-filled glance at our father, Hao lets go off me and walks off to our room.

I get the feeling that I shouldn't follow him. At least, not yet. Hao needs some time to cool off on his own.

I disappear into the kitchen, grabbing an orange to eat.

------------------------------

Hao is lying on his bed, on his back, staring up at the ceiling. He gives no sign to signal that he even acknowledges that I've walked into the room, but I know he knows I'm here. We're twins, after all. We just know this stuff.

I crawl onto his bed, lying down next to him. I know when he wants me besides him and when he wants me to keep my distance. This is one of those rare opportunities when he wants someone next to him. Me, next to him.

"Yoh," He says my name softly. "Asakura Yoh. Yoh Asakura."

"That's my name, all right." I smile softly, glancing up at him.

He looks so serious right now that my smile falters.

"It's all so different, and yet…it would be the same…" He mutters. He does not move. He does not say anymore. He only continues to stare at the ceiling with that serious look on his face, that haunted look in his eyes.

"What's the same, Hao? What's different?" This is one of those rare times where I call him by his name, and not 'niichan.

"You still say my name the same." He's wearing a slight smile now.

"Would you rather have me call you 'niichan?" I ask, mirroring his smile.

Hao's silent for a minute, as if deciding, "…I like both." He says with a nod. "I like the tone of voice you use when you call me that. There's no fear in your voice."

"Why would I fear you?" I ask with a laugh.

"Maybe I'll tell you someday," He says with a smile, but not the same kind as before. This smile is a little sad. "Maybe someday."

Someday…well, it's something. I won't pressure Hao for answers. As I said earlier, if he doesn't want to tell me, I don't want to know.

"Asakura Hao…" He says his own name now, smirking slightly.

"And Asakura Yoh." I say, reaching over and weaving our fingers together.

Hao nods. "This is nice," He says.

I agree. This is nice.

Nice can only last for so long, though. Our father opens the door, his masked face staring straight at us. The mask is as blank as always, but his aura is angry.

Hao's face gives away nothing. No trace of anger, or annoyance, or any sort of emotion what-so-ever. His hand tightens around mine ever so slightly.

"…Goodnight," Our father says, closing the door. He wanted to say more. He wanted to continue the argument I'd interrupted. But he wouldn't do it with me there. I frown; it's so unfair. I'm not a little kid anymore. I'm not as naïve as they all think.

"You are mine and mine alone." Hao says suddenly. His face still betrays no emotion at all, but there is a something strange in his voice. His tone is not possessive, not in the least. It is…almost protective.

"I am yours," I assure him with a smile. Of course I am his.

"My Yoh…" A slight smile plays across his lips. A blissful smile. "I won't let anyone else get near. I won't let people hurt my Yoh."

I wrap my arms around his shoulders tightly, needing to feel him there besides me.

We fall asleep that way.

-------------------

It was when we first moved here. My brother was so much more protective of me then he is now. I think it was because of the teasing and torment we had undergone at our old school. It was only a year ago. Just after our thirteenth birthday. We're nearing our fifteenth, now.

Things were always tense between Hao and our father, but it got worse when we moved here. Hao did not like the idea of moving. He hated our old school but he did not thinking moving to a whole new country was a good idea. Our first day here he was so enraged that I had to hold him back from setting the neighbor's little poodle on fire. Sparky lived to see another day, but just barely.

I don't know why I asked him what I did that day. He had been glaring so fiercely at some people across the street, I thought that they were going to burst into flames. Quite literarily, this being Hao and all.

I asked him why he hated them. We both know I didn't mean just the people across the street. I really meant everyone who didn't have shamanic abilities. Hao's always hated "normal" people. I guess I was just curious as to why.

"Because they hate me," He replied simply, taking his eyes off the people across the street long enough for them to scurry away. He sat down on the green lawn of our new house, sinking his fingertips into lush grass.

"Maybe they wouldn't hate you if you didn't hate them," I argued lightly, sitting down next to him. I try to look on the sunny side of things here. Hey, somebody has to, and no one else seems to be doing it, so the responsibility falls on me.

He gives me one of those 'Yoh, you're an idiot' looks. "They have hated me for a long time before I started hating them." He pulls a blade of grass from the ground and holds it in his palm for a minute, before tossing it to the winds.

"How do you know that?"

"I know."

"That's not an answer, 'niichan!" Needless to say, I was not satisfied with his reply.

He smirked evilly, "Yes it is. It's my answer."

I muttered that wasn't an answer either, but I let it go. At that rate, we'd end up having some pointless argument, and, of course, my brother would win. I'm hopeless at arguing.

"They hate you too, you know," Hao pointed out. My smile faltered slightly. I know most of them do. I know they fear me and that fear makes them hate me. He didn't have to remind me. "But you don't hate them…" For some reason, that made him grin. "You're too nice, Yoh."

And that made me grin. "Maybe," I pointed an excusing finger at him, "You're just not nice enough, Hao."

He nodded in mock-seriousness, amusement showing in her eyes, "Maybe."

"Nah," I shook my head. "I was just kidding. You're nice, Hao." I gazed up at the cloud speckled sky.

He laughed, "Do you really think so?" He asked.

"Yep," I answered, smiling up at him. "You're the nicest person I know."

"…I set things on fire, Yoh…"

"Well, considering your spirit and all, you're supposed to." As bad as I was at arguing, I was so determined to win this one. My brother was nice, and I'd prove it to him no matter what.

"I threaten to kill people sometimes…"

"But you wouldn't really do it."

His grin melted into a smirk, "Maybe it's best for you to think that…"

Confused, I mock-glared at him as he wrapped an arm around my shoulders, "Well, I think you're nice and that's that."

"I suppose it is," He said airily. "After all, it's your opinion that counts the most to me."

-----------------

Chapter –End

-----------------

…::Inching away:: Now, now, I'm sorry about the update…I know, I sure took my sweet time. Don't hurt me! At least this chapter is longer then the last two, right? …Fine, throw stuff at me. I deserve it.

And…Sweet fancy Moses! Check out the amount of reviews on this thing! O.o I never expected this to do so well! I didn't even really think it was that good…well, if you all like it so much, I'll make sure to update more often, okie dokie?::Ish happy now::